[Info-vax] OT: Elephants Can't Dance

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <49c6e55f$0$90276$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>,
	Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
> Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> In article <49b71a37$0$90263$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>,
>> 	Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
>>> Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>>>> In article <49b5d07b$0$90267$14726298 at news.sunsite.dk>,
>>>> 	Arne Vajhøj <arne at vajhoej.dk> writes:
>>>>>                                     - there are plenty
>>>>> of open source operating systems out there,     
>>>> Name one serious OS that is open source that is not just another flavor
>>>> of Unix.
>>> I can not think of any.
>> 
>> So then, there really aren't "plenty of open source operating systems
>> out there", are there.  Just one really.
> 
> No.
> 
> Unix and Unix-like operating systems is not one operating system.

For all intents and purposes, yes, they are.  All of them but two trace
their origins back to real Unix (but not being willing to pony up the
money for certification can not claim that name)  the other two had as
one of their primary driving elements to be as close to Unix as possible
without invoking the wrath of AT&T.  Any major differences in functionality
can be traced to accident or the implementors lack of ability.

> 
>>> But what so. Unix roots does not seem to scare away users.
>> 
>> Why should it?  Contrary to the warped vision of the IT industry found
>> here, there really is nothing wrong with Unix.  It has survived and moved
>> forward quite nicely over the last 3 decades while many of its competitors
>> fell by the wayside.
> 
> Surprisingly - yes.

Why "Surprisingly"?  Or are you one of those people who think there was no
design in Unix and it was just something a couple of hackers thrrew together
in a back room?  People (especially here) seem to forget that Unix had real
users from the very beginning.  Ritchie & Co. had to share the original
PDP-11 they developed Unix on with people doing real work while they were
doing that development.

bill

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>